Seydou Keita Reveals Reasons For Incidents Against Real Madrid in International Champions Cup

AS Roma midfielder Seydou Keita took to Twitter to explain his actions during his side’s 1-0 win over Real Madrid in the International Champions Cup.

The incidents that took place transpired before the kick-off when Keita refused to shake the hand of Real Madrid defender Pepe.

Shortly after, the Malian international was caught on video throwing a water bottle at the Real Madrid defender. That led to a delay in the match as players and coaches began pushing and shoving each other.

It is widely known that Keita and Pepe have had a history with each other since the 34-year-old’s time at Barcelona. But Keita clarified the motivation behind his actions in Dallas last night via his Twitter account shortly after the match ended.

Keita alleged that Pepe racially abused him during one of the El Clasico encounters; speculation is that it took place during the Supercopa de Espana (Spanish Super Cup) in 2011.

The translation reads: “1) He calls me a monkey during Madrid v. Barca. 2) I did not shake his hand. 3) He spits on me after I throw a bottle. I am sorry for my attitude.”

The video below shows last night’s incidents:

Keita made 119 appearances as a member of Barcelona from 2008-2012. During that time, the club won three La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys, three Spanish Super Cups, a UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup and two Champions League titles.

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Although a college basketball coach for sixteen years on the NCAA Division I and II levels, Peter has been an avid football fan for more than half his life. He considers himself a student of coaching and team management.
As well as coaching, Peter has spent time working in Sports Information at various colleges and universities. His articles on European football have been picked up by Bleacher Report UK, International Business Times UK and USA Today.
Twitter: @CoachPeteQuinn

One Response

NeilOJuly 30, 2014

Oh man, they won’t even wait for the kids to get off the field. Shame.